Integrated android and windows device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10922148-B2
Application number	US-201616091206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2016
Priority date	Apr 26, 2015
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

Techniques for implementing assess to Android applications and native Window application on Android devices and systems. A processor board includes a processor that is configured to run a full version of a Windows operating system and Windows applications. The processor board is configured to be communicatively coupled to the processor board in an Android device, such as a Smartphone or tablet. Upon operations and when the processor board is communicatively coupled to the Android device, a user of the Android device is enabled to selectively run Android applications and Windows applications, with the Windows applications being executed natively on the processor board. The processor board may be implemented in a computing card that is approximately the size of a credit card or smaller, which in turn may be coupled to the Android device via a backpack or similar means. The processor board may also be disposed within the same housing as the Android device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a housing;
a first processor board, including,
a first processor;
a graphics processor unit (GPU), either built into the first processor or operatively coupled to the first processor;
first memory, operably coupled to the first processor;
display output circuitry, either built into one of the first processor and the GPU or operatively coupled to at least one of the first processor and the GPU;

a touchscreen display, communicatively coupled to the display output circuitry; and
non-volatile storage in which first instructions are stored comprising an Android operating system and a plurality of Android applications;
a second processor board, communicatively coupled to the first processor board, including,
a second processor;
second memory, operatively coupled to the second processor; and

non-volatile storage in which second instructions are stored comprising a Windows operating system and a plurality of Windows applications,
wherein, upon operation the apparatus enables a user to selectively run the plurality of Android applications and the plurality of Windows applications, wherein the plurality of Android applications are executed on the first processor board and the plurality of Windows application are executed on the second processor board, and wherein the first processor board is installed within the housing and the second processor board is one of installed within the housing or installed in a backpack coupled to the housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one of the Android applications comprises an Android remote desktop client application, wherein the Windows operating system includes a remote desktop server, and wherein the remote desktop server and Android remote desktop client enable the user to remotely run Windows applications on the second processor board via user inputs to the touchscreen display.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first processor board includes an Android graphics rendering subsystem including the GPU, wherein the second instructions include software for implementing a native graphics command thrower, the second processor board is configured to throw native graphics commands to the first processor board, and the first instructions include a native graphics command catcher that is configured to catch the native graphics commands from the second processor board and submit them to the Android graphics rendering subsystem.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first instructions include a remote desktop client and the second instructions include a remote desktop server, and wherein the remote desktop client is configured to capture user inputs made via the touchscreen display and forward corresponding user input commands and/or events to the remote desktop server.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second processor board comprises a computing card that is configured to throw native Windows graphics commands including DirectX commands to a catcher running on the first processor board, and the catcher is configured to receive the DirectX commands and convert them to corresponding OpenGL commands.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second processor board comprises a computing card that is configured to convert native Windows graphics commands including DirectX commands into native Android graphics commands including OpenGL commands and throw the OpenGL commands to an Android graphics catcher running on the first processor board, and the Android graphics catcher is configured to submit the OpenGL commands to an Android graphics subsystem implemented on the first processor board.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first processor board is coupled to the second processor board via a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection, and wherein data is exchanged between the first processor board and the second processor board via an Internet Protocol (IP) implemented over the USB connection to form an IP/USB link.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second processor board has width and height dimension that are approximately the size of a credit card or smaller, and the Windows operating system is a full-version of a Windows operating system configured to be implemented on a desktop or laptop computer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first instructions include an Android graphics thrower that is configured to throw OpenGL commands to a remote display device, and wherein when the user is running a Windows application a display of the Windows application is enabled to be displayed on the remote display device.

10. An apparatus, comprising,
a backpack, configured to couple to an Android device including a first Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector, the backpack including a second USB connector that is configured to mate with the first USB connector on the Android device when the Android device is coupled to the backpack;
a processor board, communicatively coupled to the second USB connector in the backpack, including,
a processor;
memory, operatively coupled to the processor; and
non-volatile storage in which instructions are stored comprising a Windows operating system and a plurality of Windows applications,
wherein, upon operation when the Android device is coupled to the backpack, a user of the Android device is enabled to selectively run a plurality of Android applications on the Android device and remotely run the plurality of Windows applications via the Android device, and wherein the plurality of Windows application are executed on the processor board.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the Android device has a touchscreen display and includes an Android remote desktop client application, wherein the Windows operating system includes a remote desktop server, and wherein the remote desktop server and Android remote desktop client enable the user to remotely run Windows applications on the processor board via user inputs to the touchscreen display.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the Android device includes a native graphics catcher, wherein the instructions include software for implementing a native graphics command thrower, and wherein the processor board is configured to throw native graphics commands to the Android device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the Android device includes a remote desktop client and the instructions include a remote desktop server, and wherein the remote desktop server is configured to receive user input commands and/or events generated by the remote desktop client and submit the user input commands and/or events to the Windows operating system.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor board comprises a computing card that is configured to throw native Windows graphics commands including DirectX commands to a Windows graphics catcher running on the Android device.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor board comprises a computing card that is configured to convert native Windows graphics commands including DirectX commands into native Android graphics commands including OpenGL commands and throw the OpenGL commands to an Android graphics catcher running on the Android device.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein data is exchanged between the processor board and Android device via an Internet Protocol (IP) implemented over a USB connection to form an IP/USB link.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor supports execution of x86 instructions.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor board has width and height dimension that

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Adiletta Matthew J
• Wilde Myles
• Wheeler William R
• Fallon Michael F
• Gorius Aaron
• Kumar Amit
• Yang Chengda

Classifications

• G06F13/38

  Information transfer, e.g. on bus (G06F13/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02D10/00

  Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management · CPC title

• G06F9/48

  Program initiating; Program switching, e.g. by interrupt · CPC title

• G06F13/12

  using hardware independent of the central processor, e.g. channel or peripheral processor · CPC title

• G06F2213/0042

  Universal serial bus [USB] · CPC title